The Works of The Lord are Great

Psalm 111v2-4..”The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered, The Lord is gracious and full of compassion..”
The Psalms are the hymn book of the Bible, a majority of them were set to music, which was not just beautiful to the hearer but also helped in memorization. Psalm 111 is one I wish was commonly sung among Believers today. “The works of the Lord are great!”
Think about what just some of those works are for a moment..Creation is Great, marvelous, glorious, and to be remembered. His provision of food for all creatures, Men and animal, that’s good too. Ultimately though, this Psalm is clearly pointing to His provision of redemption for mankind. Ps.111v9..”He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name..” We should study on these things..
Before time began, God had a plan to be reconciled to His creation. In particular the highlight of His creation..man. He wasn’t surprised by Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden in any way. God knew that there would be need for a Mediator between Himself and men long before there was a man or woman or even an earth!
God also knew that any covenant He made with men would be compromised, not by Him but by mankind. He even allowed for that!..Ps111v5b..”He will be ever mindful of His covenant..”, (v7) "The works of His hands are verity and justice”.. Verity means the quality or state of being true or real, an inevitably true value. God knows that if men are any thing, they are rarely real, true, or just. God makes a covenant with men, and because He is always Just and True, He keeps the contract whether men do or not. In fact He writes the contract with the blood of Christ and seals it with the giving of His Holy Spirit !
v7b..”All His precepts are sure”.. The Bible tells us that “Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men”..(John2v24) And though men cannot be trusted, Jesus can be, for He is called "Faithful and True” (Rev.19v11) This is a great scripture to dwell on ..We can have confidence in The Savior because His precepts..”Stand forever and ever, they are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people..” (111v8,9)
God has made it easy for fallen men to be cared for by His covenant righteousness and sealed by His Spirit. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be redeemed today..Then you too can fall under His graciousness, compassion, and mercy. He promises this and there is no work done by God for man, greater than this..That He sent His Son into the world to redeem men. Praise the Lord!
Pray..Heavenly Father, You have done great things. The greatest of those was sending Jesus Your Son to die for me. I recognize that I am completely helpless to save myself and I turn now from my lifestyle of sin and commit myself fully to the Savior of the world, Christ Jesus. Save me that I may serve you now and in eternity. Thank you for Your grace, In Jesus name, Amen.

How lovely is Your Tabernacle, O Lord of Hosts!

Psalm 84v10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand (elsewhere), I had rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness..
At least three times a year, every obedient Jew, no matter where they lived, was to make a pilgrimage back to Jerusalem. There was no easy means of travel, it would have all been on foot or on animal back. I believe one of God’s purposes for this was to remind the Israelites of the travails of their forefathers during the times of the Exodus, and later those of the exiles to Babylon and back. Maybe to recognize God’s current blessings on them as well.
Psalm 84v6..”Who passing through the Valley of Baca make it a well; The rain also filleth the pools.” The Valley of Baca was a very dry region, and the odds of it raining there were pretty slim. (Baca..weeping or balsam tree). So those who would make the journey, would have to allow for the dry days of travel through dangerous desert areas. Ps.23..”Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..” No matter how a pilgrim returned to Jerusalem, they had to pass thru arid and unforgiving lands. People would be traveling in groups and as they got closer to Jerusalem, the groups would gather into larger and larger masses. Eventually they would look like the Israelites coming out of Egypt and into the promised land.
As they walked, they would remind one another of how nice it would be in the Temple area. They could talk about how blessed they were that they didn’t have to wander for years in the desert, maybe just a day or two. This lifted up their spirits, even in the hard places. They knew that if they could just make it through the dry lands, they could soon rejoice in the rich one. The land where the Lord God of Zion dwelt. As the throng grew larger, they would renew relationships from previous journeys and exhort one another with memories of pilgrimages past. Singing the from “Songs of Ascents” in the Book of Psalms (Ps.120-134) as they went up to worship in “The House of Lord of Hosts”, was part of the yearly experience too.
Once they arrived, after days of trials, they could truly rejoice in seeing their Father’s House again. They would spend their days at rest, recalling how good God has always been to His people, and enjoying the special times of worship in His Tabernacle again.
After the tough travel, it was very easy to say Ps.84v10..”Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand”,(Anywhere else!)..
Dry times come for everyone. After trials, or the Valleys of Baca (weeping) that come into our lives, we should look forward to the House of the Lord, a place to remember His goodness. The times of worshipping God, the fellowshipping with and encouraging other Believers, makes the return trip through the dry valleys easier. We find in His House, His presence, His grace, His glory, and fullness of joy; And we remember again, Ps.84v11b there is..”No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly”.Where the Lord is, there is plenty of living water! (84v6)
Pray. (From Ps.89v6-8) “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence of all them that are about Him. O Lord God of Hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto Thee? Or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee? Thank You O Lord, for Your care in the dry valleys of Baca! In our Savior’s name, Jesus, Amen !

God Crowns the Year with Goodness.

Psalm 65v11..”You crown the year with Your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance..”
The Book of Romans reminds us that God’s invisible attributes are made clearly seen by His Creation.(Rom1v19,20) It is hard to see God’s goodness in His creation if we never go outside though. Our modern existence resides indoors more than out so we miss great words of wisdom from God, ones that are given to men through His works.
Some of the writers of the Psalms didn’t have this issue..They worked and even slept outside most times, caring for livestock or living a nomadic or shepherds lifestyle. This allowed them to keep a close eye on the universe. They observed the stars to the point that they could predict weather, times, and seasons from the skies and stars. They observed the movements of tides, animals, insects, the moon and weather to know when to plant or harvest most productively. David’s writing of Psalm 65 is an excellent example of praising the Most High God for His Glory and Salvation all of which was recognized through His creation.
“Blessed is the man You choose and cause to approach You..”(65v4) David saw that not everyone finds the Father. Maybe because of a hard heart, pride, or arrogance, they fail to “Seek the Lord while He can still be found.” In the rainforest area of the Madre de Dios in Peru, we asked an unreached village, “Who made all of the trees and fruits that provided your food?”.They all said “a Creator” or “God”. They didn’t know Who “He” was but they all knew that those Brazil nut trees didn’t magically appear by themselves. One of them, after hearing the Gospel said, “Do you have something about this God that I could take to my village, they have never heard about God before either..” However well,“The heavens declare His Glory, and the firmament shows His handiwork”(Ps19v1), Christ is much easier to find thru a messenger.
Rain and flowing water are another great blessing leading men to wonder about their Creator. (Ps.65v9,10) When your whole existence is dependent on timely rain, you never see it as a hinderance. I watched a desert dwelling man stand in pouring rain and praise God for His blessing of rain. If you never see rain, it is fantastic, and it draws men to God. Do you realize how blessed you are IF you have ever heard the Gospel from a person rather than trying to discern it from nature? Especially since we live so oblivious to the great outdoors.”Blessed is the man You (The Lord) choose..”
God’s provision to us is so great yet it is so common that we often fail to recognize it. Psalm 65v11b “Your paths drip with abundance”. The picture here is, His grace is so abundant that the wagonload of grain spills over the sides as it drives down the path. Every bird is fed, no rodent suffers want, every insect is cared for, while still leaving more for man than he can ever consume.
A number of the Psalms describe the hills and valleys, plants and trees as all giving praise to God. Jesus said that if men didn’t give Him glory even the rocks would cry out. God receives great joy from His creation. He gave it to men to take dominion over and learn about Him from it. Read Psalm 65 this week and then go outside and see if His word is true..It is! All of Creation declares the glory of God! You (since you are a part of creation) should declare it too!
Pray, Lord, as You crown this year, may I not fail to give You glory as I may have in the past. You are great and greatly to be praised. You have provided for my every need and I Thank You for Your abundant supply. By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer me, O God of My salvation, You are the confidence of all the ends of the earth! (Ps.65v5).. In Jesus Name..Amen

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5


Announcements:
*Join us at 6:00 as we study Gods word together.

Prayer Requests:
*Pastor Jesuel requests prayer for his daughter who was rushed to the hospital for a surgery on her neck ( remove tumor). 
*Pray for Elias and Gloria in their chemo. 
*Pray for the Hispanic church they are having a definite attack from the evil one. 
*Pray for our country, our leaders, state and local leaders.

Missions Moment: Zimbabwe 
Landlocked state in southern Africa.


Challenges for Prayer:Young people have watched idealistic visions fade to empty slogans and oppressive misrule. They constitute a huge swathe of the population, but have little reason to hope for improvement to their difficult lot. Pray for the ministries of:
a) Fellowship of Christian Unions – FOCUS(IFES) has 50 groups with 5,000 students served by five full-time and one part-time staff. In the midst of societal dysfunction the students continue to declare the gospel and help where they can to serve the practical needs of the people.
b) Scripture Union has had a decisive impact on the educated via its work in secondary schools. They impart life skills to younger students, work with orphans and children at risk and provide HIV/AIDS education. Camp ministry has been especially fruitful. Pray for more Christian teachers to nurture this work in their spare time.
c) African Enterprise impacts about 50,000 people and hundreds of churches per year with its youth-oriented Foxfire ministries. This ministry, going since 1980, has spiritually shaped many of the nation’s top Christian leaders.
Pray for the less-evangelized. Zimbabwe has been extensively evangelized, but areas of need remain:
a) The rural areas, often neglected for church planting and for sending qualified workers. Pray more will be called to this humble but vital task. Pray also for evangelistic outreaches and suitable literature distribution specifically to these areas.
b) The burgeoning cities, swollen with hundreds of thousands of rural migrants looking for non-existant jobs. Squatter settlements are multiplying and crime is on the increase. Outreach to the unemployed is a major challenge.
c) Less-reached peoples. There are some congregations in every indigenous people, but relatively few among the Tonga, Nambya and Dombe of the Hwange-Kariba area in the northwest (where the AoG have made a significant impact), the Kunda in the northeast and the Tswa in the southeast.
d) Muslims. They are a small minority but wield disproportionate influence on the country through foreign aid “with strings”, mosque-building and scholarships in Muslim universities. Most are Yao from Malawi, some are South Asian immigrants and a few are indigenous Shona-speakers. Little Christian outreach has been made to win them and churches are ill-equipped to do so.

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New Every Morning
Psalm 19v1,2 “The heavens declare the Glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge..”
Mankind marks time by days, months and years. Each morning he arises with hopes of a good day ahead, and each night he reflects on the past day, hoping tomorrow will be better than today. He recognizes a new month with..”I can’t believe it’s December already!” And new years are approached similarly..”Can you believe it’s 2021, last year just flew by!”
David and Solomon were no different..Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 12, measures the march of life, reminding us to celebrate our youthful days before we lose the spring in our steps.(12v5) And David, in the Psalms, looks at his daily existence and ponders eternity as well. He wonders if this is all there is or will death finally bring satisfaction like a new morning should have.
Psalm 71v17,18..” O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grey headed, O God do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come..”
As the year end draws near, we might look back at how God has handled our lives so well in the last year while also looking forward to His care in this coming one.
Psalm 71v14” But I will hope continually, And I will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only..”
If God has brought me thus far, can I not trust Him for today, tomorrow, and everyday after, until my death? I need to be more aware of making Him my hope each morning and making Him my rest every night. As I see the new days, months, and years come and go; As I see nations war against God and each other, can any other thing can give me “Peace on Earth”?
Psalm 72 (read all) is the conclusion of one of the 5 books or divisions of the larger Book of Psalms. It reminds the reader that God, in sending His Messiah, has everything right where He wants it, both in time and in Eternity. V17-19 reminds us that “His name shall endure forever” not just day by day, And that, “The whole world is filled with His Glory”..
Dedicate each day to Him. If I assign His will and direction to my every moment, only then will I have a complete and satisfied life. In the morning praying..”Lord, use me today as You will” and at night “I pray Your Glory was better revealed to others by my service to You today”! On that final new day then, I will be satisfied in Him for eternity. Eternity will be the last “New day” that will ever begin that will not conclude with a night..(Rev.21v25) No more measured time.. Take time today then, “while it is still called today” to dwell on His word and ask Him daily to prepare you for His coming “New day”.
Pray..Father, thank You for Your care for me even when I haven’t acknowledged You for it. You are good and Your care for me is sovereign. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. I commend my entire life and being to You. Direct my steps and grow my faithfulness as You continue to “establish Your thoughts” in my life. (Prov.16v1-4) May every moment of my life be pleasing to You..In Jesus Name..Amen!

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Ezekiel 16v62..” And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord God.””

Luke 2v10..”Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day..A Savior, who is Christ the Lord..v14 “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men !..”

Matt.1v21..”And you shall call His name Yeshua for He will save His people from their sins..” ..Yeshua (Gk. Jesus) means The Lord is Savior..

​Ezekiel 16, like much of the OT, demonstrates man’s inability to remain faithful to the God who created him. Man is inherently sinful by nature. Born dead in his trespasses and sin. He is a reviler, one who complains against his Creator. He is an impure thinker and a blasphemer of God. Yet God according to His riches in mercy, sees fit to rescue men.
When Moses had led the children of Israel to the second rock to receive water from it..It had a different name than the first rock at Mt.Horeb. (Ex.17)Mt. Horeb’s rock in Heb. meant jagged rock.(“And when we see Him, no comeliness that we should desire Him”) But this second rock meant Elevated Rock.(Christ’s time on the cross, lifted up and judged for our sin) Both Rocks are obvious pictures of the Messiah, the Savior. God could have wiped out the Israelites right there for their continuous complaining and lack of faith but instead He showed great mercy to them and gave them the living water. (Numbers 20)
All along, man has been desperately lost and by his nature has warred against God and His goodness. And on the day of Christ’s birth, mankind is given a gift far beyond anything he ever deserved or could understand. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is Given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders,and His name shall be Wonderful, Counsellor, Almighty God, and Everlasting Father,.” We deserved judgement and instead God gives us peace.
The shepherds never knew that they had no hope until Hope arrived, The Magii never realized they had no wealth or purpose until the King’s star arrived! God’s only Begotten was placed on earth at a specific time and place so that all people of all time would have the opportunity to be saved from their sins. Like men of old, men today are born lost and unaware that the Messiah has been born in a manger in Bethlehem to live a sinless life in order to rescue them..The Savior that we didn’t know we needed, to spare us from the judgement we so deserve..
“Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, Shall come to thee O Israel..”
Pray...Father, Thank You for the Gift You sent to earth so long ago. Your Son, the only One who could save me from my sin. I didn’t even know I needed Him or how terribly I have treated You my Lord, Sovereign, and Creator. Have mercy on me anew as I remember the work that has been done for me on the cross. The Innocent life spent for me, the guilty..I rejoice in the Name of Yeshua, Immanuel..Jesus my Savior! Amen!

Good morning Plant Grow Harvest,

Memory verse for the week.
Lamentations 3:21-23
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.


We are working on remaining faithful in Perilous times and this verse is a go to remedy for reminding us of God’s goodness.


Announcements:
*Join us tonight at 6:00 as we study a God’s  Word together.
*Youth tonight at 6:00
* This Friday we will be at the rescue mission.
*Sunday night at 4:00 we will gather together to go Caroling around town and then meet back at the church for games and snacks. We will even have a piñata thanks to Charlie Alva.

Prayer Requests:
* Pray for Pastor Jesuel. He is back in Brazil with a terrible internal infection. His work in Guatemala continues while he is away. 
*Remember our missionaries in Peru, Africa, Madagascar, and all the others we support. 

Missions Moment: Uzbekistan 
Fertile, irrigated mountain valleys in the east, notably the Ferghana Valley. Desert and Aral Sea in the west.


Challenges for Prayer:
Uzbekistan is the strategic key to Central Asia, hence the intensifying struggle between the post-Soviet regime and the Islamist movements. The government’s “iron fist” policy is not deterring thousands of jobless young men from joining these movements. But much of the population is torn between these two and tired of the poverty, corruption and failure to progress. Pray for genuine change, reform and leadership that demonstrates uprightness and governs for the sake of the people. Pray that in the midst of the struggle, many may find true peace that only Jesus can give.Tashkent is the Islamic capital of Central Asia in terms of both numbers and influence. Islam is more a part of the Uzbek cultural identity than it is a faithfully practiced religion; folk/occult practices are deeply tied into the beliefs of mostly the rural Uzbeks. Since a burst of Islamic activity soon after independence, the government has reined in most Islamic missionaries and mosque-buildings and tightly controls and monitors all Islamic activity.